Book Review: Deadly Secret by Tara Thomas

Deadly Secret (Sons of Broad #2) by Tara Thomas

Blurb:

SHE KNOWS THE TRUTH IS IN REACH

As a lawyer and aspiring Congresswoman, Bea likes to keep things professional. But she's hired to investigate past dark secrets embedded in the Benedict business empire - and, as secret wife to Knox Benedict, the job is about to become even more personal...

BUT THE CLOSER SHE GETS

Knox is the moral backbone of the Benedict Family, but even a modern-day saint can have a mysterious side. He's out to win back his estranged secret wife - but getting close to her again could destroy them both.

THERE IS NOWHERE LEFT TO RUN...

As Bea and Knox dig up the truth, Bea falls deeper and deeper into danger. Someone close by is watching her - and waiting to kill. Can Knox save the woman he loves from the enemy out to destroy them? And can their marriage survive the deadliest secret of all?

My Review:

I loved Darkest Night and was excited to continue the series with Deadly Secret. Each book centers around one of the Benedict brothers - Keaton, Knox, and Kipling. Deadly Secret focuses on middle brother, Knox and his (OMG) secret wife, Bea. 

Bea was attacked in Darkest Night and has now pushed Knox away for his own good, but Knox isn't ready to let Bea slip through his fingers. When her attacker begins sending her threatening notes it brings them back together again as they try to unravel past secrets in the Benedict family and figure out who is targeting the family and why. But the closer they get to  uncovering the truth the more danger Bea is in. Will deadly secrets spell Bea's demise? Or will Knox swoop in at just the right time?

I love the story concept of this series. The mysterious "Gentleman" hiding in the wings putting evil plots in motion, the implied threats, the romance and danger. My issue with the writing itself is a different matter. I read an eARC of Darkest Night so I assumed the grammatical errors throughout were just because it was an advanced copy and not the final book, but I picked up a finished copy of Deadly Secret and noticed significant grammatical errors throughout the book (words missing, incorrect words in places) as well as a few plot inconsistencies.

 At the end of Darkest Night, Bea shows up at Keaton and Tilly's party with the threatening note but in Deadly Secret the note is sent to her later at her office. Then in one section there's a scene when Bea and Knox arrive back from D.C. and the entire family is there but then a little while later the family arrive home and didn't know Bea and Knox were back from D.C. so unless they went again and it wasn't mentioned it doesn't make any sense. 

Overall, while I liked the story and want to uncover the identity of The Gentleman in Broken Promise (which the publisher has graciously provided me with an eARC of) I found this book hard to read. It really could have used another pass through an editor and proofreader.

Another thing I didn't like was that the threats seemed solely on Knox and Bea in this book. It's as if since Keaton and Tilly found their "happily ever after" the Gentleman is no longer interested in them when in my mind it should seem if he was after the whole family he wouldn't stop going after all of them...

My Rating:

Rating for Overall Story Concept: 

🌟🌟🌟🌟✭ 

4.5 of 5 Stars!

Overall Rating of the Book Taking Massive Grammatical Errors into Account:

🌟🌟✮

2.95 of 5 Stars!

#BookTag Saturday: The 20 Reading Questions Tag

This week I'm switching gears just a little bit and doing the 20 Reading Questions Book Tag...

1. Favorite Genre To Read:

A: Young Adult Fantasy

2. Current Book You're Reading:

A: Bad Boy Brody by Tijan

3. First Book You Remember Loving:

A: East O' The Sun and West O' The Moon (my grandmother read it to me at bedtime when I was a child)

4. A Book / Series You Wish Would Be Adapted To Film:

A: The Thousandth Floor Trilogy by Katharine McGee

5. Favorite Protagonist:

A: Elena Michaels (Women of the Otherworld Series by Kelley Armstrong)

6. Favorite Antagonist:

A: The Darkling (Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo)

7. Do You Write Any Stories:

A: Yes! I've written young adult paranormal romance, urban fantasy, historical fantasy, retellings, fantasy, dabbled in horror, and now I'm attempting new adult sports romance, sci-fi, and thriller.

8. A Movie You Think Was Better Than The Book:

A: The Jane Austen Book Club

9. Best Book You've Read This Year:

A: That's a toughie - Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

10. One of Your Favorite Authors:

A: Wendy Higgins

11. Least Favorite Genre to Read:

A: Dystopian

12. A Book You'd Recommend to a Friend:

A: Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff because I don't think enough people know about that book.

13. Favorite Film Adaptation of a Book:

A: The Great Gatsby (the Baz Luhrmann version)

14. Book You've Read The Most Times:

A: Strange Bedpersons by Jennifer Curse

15. A Book You Didn't Expect to Like:

A: Unknown by Wendy Higgins

16. Favorite Classic Book:

A: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

17. Book That's Impacted You The Most:

A: Crash Into Me by Albert Borris

18. If You Could Meet One Author (Living or Dead) Who Would It Be?

A: Wendy Higgins or Sarah J. Maas

19. An Author You Think More People Should Know About:

A: Sabrina Ramoth

20. Favorite Book / Series of All Time:

A: The Thousandth Floor Trilogy by Katharine McGee (and I haven't even read the third book yet but I know it will be f'ing amazing!

{Blog Tour Book Review} CHASER by Kylie Scott

Chaser (Dive Bar #3) by Kylie Scott

Blurb:

Given his well-earned bad boy reputation, Eric is having a tough time scoring.. When single Jean moves to town, she seems heaven sent by the sex gods. Only problem is, she not only wants nothing to do with him, but it turns out that she's pregnant.

Starting over in a small town, Jean is determined to turn her wild lifestyle around and be the kind of mother she always wished she'd had. Since local bar owner and all round hottie, Eric Collins, is now determined to steer clear of her pregnant self, it should be easy. When she goes into labour during a snow storm and her car slides on some ice, it's Eric who comes to the rescue.

There seems to be a bond between them now, but is it enough? And can Eric give up his manwhore ways to be the man Jean needs?

GET YOUR COPY:

AMAZON: http://amzn.to/2nOeGFw

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B06XWF4528/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491148359&sr=8-1&keywords=chaser+kylie+scott

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chaser-Dive-Bar-Kylie-Scott/dp/1509806334/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1491148411&sr=1-1&keywords=chaser+kylie+scott

Books A Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9781250083234

Indiebound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781250083234

iBooks: : https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/chaser/id1220173878?mt=11

My Review:

With his skills behind the bar and his smooth-talking line, Eric Collins is a player and he wouldn't have it any other way. Or would he? With his friend/coworker Nell (with whom he shares a tragic past) on his case and his older brother Joe settling down with the right woman, Eric is determined to show them all that he can be boyfriend material.

Enter Jean. When Eric sees Jean walk into the Dive Bar he's immediately attracted to her, but on closer inspection Eric learns that Jean is pregnant. Twenty-two-year-old Jean left her home behind in Florida to start over fresh in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho at the suggestion of her friend Nell whom she met on a pregnancy support site. The last thing she needs is a smooth-talking player like Eric hanging around and reminding her of the father of her unborn child.

As much as they try to avoid each other their attraction to one another is magnetic. Eric finds himself spending all of his free time with Jean and when she needs help the most, Eric is there to come to her rescue. Can spending time with Jean and her daughter Ada put an end to Eric's manwhore ways for good? Will the young, single mother make room in her life for the right man? Or will two visitors with an unreasonable request put an end to Eric and Jean's budding relationship before it has a chance to blossom?

As always with this author's books, I devoured Chaser. I loved Eric and thought he had tremendous character growth in this book. His determination to become the man his friends didn't believe he could be was well plotted and I loved his interactions with Jean's daughter. For a man who didn't want anything to do with children he was a natural with Ada. 

Eric and Jean's relationship was a slow-burning attracting that builds up until the smoldering scene in which the pair finally get together. And while sexy, it also shows the realities of finding "grown-up playtime" while having small children in the house.

Of course I love the cameo appearances of the Stage Dive guys, especially my bae Mal and I like how the two difference series mingle together in this series. It's being able to look back at your favorite rockers from the Stage Dive series and see how their lives are continuing now that their series is done.

One character I could have done without was Nell. I don't really understand her deal in this book. She's angry at Eric for what happened between them and to their child, but she comes off more like a vengeful ex that's determined to ruin any happiness Eric might find while at the same time trying to tell him to grow up and act responsible. The other issue I have, more with the author than the story, is her usage of the word "nappies" in reference to diapers. I know the author is Australian but this series is set in Idaho, in the United States. We don't use the word nappies here. We call them diapers. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I like all of this author's books but this one seemed more meaningful to me in a way. I thought Eric and Jean's story was beautiful.

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

EXCERPT:

I’d been tricked. Betrayed. 

After Andre and Jean ate their lunch, we headed outside to deal with her stuff. The cold wind suited my mood to perfection. 

Talk about disappointed. 

“Don’t lift that, it looks heavy,” I snapped. 

Jean blinked. “It’s a pillow.” 

“The world’s largest pillow ever. You can’t be too careful.” My gaze roamed over her swollen middle. “You’re . . .” 

“Pregnant?” she asked with a voice dripping poison and sugar. 

“Are you having trouble with the concept?” 

“Absolutely not. I was just going to say huge, that’s all.” 

She blew out an exasperated breath. “Thanks, Eric. That makes me feel so much better.” 

“I just . . .” 

“Don’t bother.” The woman turned back to her sensible, medium-sized SUV and got busy riffling through the contents. I was surprised she’d been able to squeeze into the driver’s seat. 

Boxes and stuff took up almost every inch inside the vehicle. Each and every box seemed to have been neatly labeled with the contents. 

The woman took her organization seriously. She looked over her shoulder. “You know, I can’t help noticing that Eric-the-smooth-moving-flirt has been suddenly replaced by Eric-the-awkward-jerk.” 

“Well, you said you were single.” I folded my arms defensively across my chest. 

“I am.” 

And then there was an awkward silence. 

“Yeah, but . . . I mean, in your condition . . .” I fumbled to a halt. 

She turned, face all scrunched up. Like I was the one with the problem. 

“Just hop out of the way so I can grab some boxes,” I said, voice gruff. 

Still nothing from her. “It’s a second-story walk-up and you have a lot of stuff to get up there. You should be taking it easy.” Hands on hips, I tapped my black leather boot against the sidewalk, waiting her out. “Jean, I’m not trying to insult you. It’s the truth.” 

She swore quietly, going back to fussing with the contents in the vehicle. I don’t think any woman has ever given me the silent treatment quite this quickly. Usually I’m good for at least a couple of hours after seeing them naked. 

Man, I still couldn’t believe this was happening. God hated me or something. Pregnant women and me were enema. Anathema. Whatever. Now that I’d seen her out in the autumn light, however, she looked younger than I’d first guessed. Despite her tired eyes, her skin was smooth, soft looking. She was likely closer to her early twenties than mid. 

“How old are you?” I asked. 

“Why do you care?” 

I shrugged one shoulder. “Just curious.” 

“How old are you?” 

“Nearly thirty.” 

She sniffed. “I’m twenty-two.” 

Young, like I’d thought. She was probably too immature for me, anyway. 

“Come on, Jean. Let me get some of the boxes.” 

Boyd ambled out of the Dive Bar, turning his head this way and that, looking up and down the street. I raised my hand and he started over in our direction. The big cook would make short work out of moving all this stuff. Behind us, Andre and Nell came out of the tenants’ entrance to the Bird Building. The place was a big brick building about a hundred years old. Just past the door was an entryway with stairs leading up to the second floor, followed by two empty shops, their windows covered in flyers about local events. Concerts and parades and shit. They’d been vacant for a while, unfortunately. Andre’s Guitar Den came next, then Pat’s tattoo parlor Inkaho, and the Dive Bar on the corner. 

“Everything’s good to go. Alex and I gave it a cleaning last week just to be sure,” said Nell, smacking a kiss on Jean’s cheek. 

“You’ll meet Alex later. She’s probably busy working or something now. She’s sort of a shut-in.” 

“You two didn’t have to do that,” said Jean. “Thank you.” 

“Anytime.” 

Andre leaned against the SUV. “Your furniture got delivered yesterday too, so it’s all good to go.” 

“Excellent,” said Jean. “I can’t wait to sleep in a decent bed again. Road trips when you’re seven months’ pregnant kind of suck.” 

“I bet.” 

“Who’s minding the kitchen?” I asked. 

“Lydia will text Boyd if they need something,” said Nell. 

“We’re only going to be a few feet away from the place.” 

I frowned. 

“I own the kitchen, Eric. Not you,” she said. “You’re in charge of the bar, that’s all.” 

One of Jean’s eyebrows inched up slightly. So I might have implied that I was the sole owner. Shit happened. 

I crossed my arms. “Fine. No need to bite my head off.” 

“My best online friend just moved to town. We’ve been texting and skyping for months. She’s been an absolute rock for me through all the nerves of being pregnant again,” said Nell. “Stop messing with my happy.” 

And then there was an awkward silence. Great. If only there was some way to get out of helping without looking like a raging asshole. The possibility of anything happening between me and Jean had been buried six feet deep, never to be spoken of again.

ABOUT KYLIE SCOTT:

Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013 & 2014, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet. You can learn more about Kylie from http://www.kylie-scott.com/

Links:

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/kyliescottwriter/

FACEBOOK FAN GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/599197093487040/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/KylieScottbooks

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kylie_scott_books/

GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6476625.Kylie_Scott

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"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #114

This "WIR"-Wednesday I'm reading the second book in a trilogy I started and fell in love with earlier this year...

Deadly Secret (Sons of Broad #2) by Tara Thomas

Blurb:

SHE KNOWS THE TRUTH IS IN REACH

As a lawyer and aspiring Congresswoman, Bea likes to keep things professional. But she's hired to investigate past dark secrets embedded in the Benedict business empire - and, as secret wife to Knox Benedict, the job is about to become even more personal...

BUT THE CLOSER SHE GETS

Knox is the moral backbone of the Benedict family, but even a modern-day saint can have a mysterious side. He's out to win back his estranged secret wife - but getting close to her again could destroy them both.

THERE IS NOWHERE LEFT TO RUN...

As Bea and Knox dig up the truth, Bea falls deeper and deeper into danger. Someone close by is watching her - and waiting to kill. Can Knox save the woman he loves from the enemy out to destroy them? And can their marriage survive the deadliest secret of all?

Why I Chose This Book | What I Think So Far:

I picked up this book because I loved Darkest Night and was dying to find out what happened next. I was also sent an eARC of Broken Promise (Sons of Broad #3) from the publisher so I have to catch up on book two before I can move on to book three. I didn't realize Bea and Knox were married and, I admit, that plot twist has me excited. The first line drew me into the story and I'm slowly unraveling the next piece of the puzzle that I assume won't be completely revealed until the third book.